Retribution X: Crying into the wind
by Anything but ordinary3
Summary: Ash's understandabley upset, Mel is the comic relief. I really don't like this fic and you probably won't ever...don't say i didn't warn you!!


**Disclaimer: All of the characters in this fan fiction (except Mel, Ash, Ev and Kat) belong to marvel and I make no profit in their use.**

**Thanks again to the _nice reviewers out there who don't totally knock your confidence and also to Oracles Maiden who wrote all of Mel's POV!_**

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_This has been my most controversial fanfic so far and so I have decided to edit it severely in order to knock out some of that controversy because I can't be bothered to deal with another scathing comment like I did this morning! I realise that while Ashley's rape is not dealt with in the ideal manner it was and is dealt with in a way that remains true to the characters with in this piece! Also I find it incredible that people naively believe that there is a right and wrong way to deal with rape, it is dealt with in such a manner as is personal to the individual and I got this on reliable authority) it is a sad fact that many victims of rape suffer alone and think of themselves forever afterwards as somehow tainted even though this is not the case. Remember nowadays there are many people that you can speak to confidentially about sexual abuse… where ever you live!_

**Retribution X – Crying into the Wind.**

I stumbled down the street feeling numb inside. My body was incredibly painful, I had already been sick twice, and my body was shaking violently, how I managed to walk is still a wonder to me today, but I managed it. I didn't know where I was headed I didn't want to go back to the institute but my mum lived so far away and what would I say to her even if she had lived close. I saw nothing except for Kevin's face contorted into a vicious smile, I didn't notice as car flew past me or as people stared, I just walked. 

After a while I found myself in a familiar street, apparently my feet had wanted to go home to the institute after all maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. I kept walking blindly in the direction of the mansion, so blindly I didn't notice a familiar car pull up beside me.

"Hey Sparky what you doin' here?" came a mans gruff voice but it wasn't the voice I heard the voice I heard was Kevin's. I dropped to the floor and covered my ears with my hands and sobbed, I mean really sobbed for the first time since I was 7. 

I looked down at the kid, there was definitely something wrong I could smell blood, fear, vomit, alcohol and something I really didn't want to think about. All in all the kid was a mess.  The kid had obviously been crying something I'd never seen her do before, hell I didn't even know she was capable of it, she was always so detached so…well…Sparky.

I knelt down beside her but I heard the familiar ZZzzzz and the static charge that made my hairs stand on end that meant she was charging her body ready to attack.

"Get away from me!" She screamed hands still over ears eyes clamped shut.

"It's alright kid I ain't gonna hurt yer" I said in my best soothing voice

I watched in shock as her trade mark white electricity flow rippled through the skin on her face and hands. I wanted pick her up and take her home but hell this was gonna hurt, my body is after all a natural conductor.

"It's all right kid I'll take you take you home" I told her

I picked her up feeling the searing pain as electricity passed through my body searing my skin and more likely than not frying my brain. 'When did the kid get so strong?' I asked myself usually she just stunned people but I knew the answer the kid had got so strong by being scared shitless. 

'God help the runt who did this to her' I thought angrily as I laid her down on the backseat of the car before collapsing on the floor waiting for my healing factor to work its magic. I stood up when I felt I was fully fit again and wrapped my jacket around the kid, now cowering in my backseat with silent tears streaking down her face and got zapped for my effort.

I then jumped into the driver's seat grabbing my com device that the Professor insists we all carry around.

"Wolverine here anybody hear me?"

I listened hearing only static 

"Is any body there?" I was losing my temper but before I could throw it out the window I heard a voice coming through

"Oui mon chere Gambit is here"

I wasn't sure what to say I was pretty sure the kid wouldn't want me to tell anybody what I had suspected to have happened to her, I just needed to get her home and hopefully to tell me.

"Something come up and need one of you to go pick the girls up from the Jade room" I growled just so he was clear that he shouldn't a) protest or b) ask any questions

"Gambit is on it chere"

I looked in the rear view mirror at Ashley; I sure hope it's not what I think.

**The danger room**

"Isn't ash up yet?" I said stroking my throbbing head as I walked straight into the danger room. The door slid shut behind me, but as I looked around I realised I was the only one there. 

'Strange' I thought. Ash was never late for Breakfast, especially not training. Jubes was almost always as was Kat- even Ev missed occasional moments but never Ash… and never all of them at the same time. 

"Guys!" I called out, my voice echoing. "Guy's, are you here?" 

I sat on the metal floor for a moment; maybe this was my test for the day. Maybe I was there to figure out what was going on. Beast was trying to trick my intellect. I smiled smugly; ol' blue fur wasn't going to trick me that easily. 

**An hour later…**

Ok maybe I was wrong on the whole beast thing. 

I was starting to get cramp in my leg from the cold floor. Oh well- if they were coming then it was too late, our time was up. 

I stood, brushed down my trousers and headed back to the door, wondering where the hell my friends had got to once again.  I was day dreaming really, in a daze… A daze of him. How could I have been so wrong about him? Was I that thick? Should have seen what a git he was before I agreed to a date. 

The doors parted and as I walked through I felt my arm brush against something fuzzy… like a comfortable old jumper.

"Melody?!?" Kurt exclaimed, shocked. I looked up but let my neutral face remain. 

"Good morning Kurt." I sighed as I kept walking. However now the elf had given up any ideas about training. 

"Melody… please let me explain, can't we talk?" He called hurrying to keep up with my fast pace.  

"Talk about what?" I said pointedly, "Me settling the bill, or what we could get up to in your 'digs'?" A couple of the other students stopped and giggled as Kurt continued to chase me up to the doors to Retribution X's Wing. 

"Mel, Mel… please hear me out…"

Once over the threshold. I did turn and smiled at him, my sweetest smile in fact. 

"Yes Kurt of course I'll listen to you." I stepped quickly aside though to let Kat see what she was doing. A flame of great intensity burst out of Kurt's trousers, right next to his tail. 

I laughed gleefully as Kurt undid his buckle in a panic and pulled them down passed his ankles and off. He then jumped on them five or possibly six times until the fire was out. He looked up sheepishly at me, standing again square in the doorway I grinned evilly. 

"Guess what Wagner. That's the first and last time you're going to get your trousers off in front of me!" I laughed as I turned about to close the door then I realised something else had to be said…

"Remember that old saying Kurt… Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned… you'll soon be discovering how true it is. Cause when you scorn one of us… well, the rest of Retribution X comes out fighting for that one."

**The next morning. **

After brushing my teeth (My first act in the morning.) I went to check on ash. The plates of food we'd left her were empty now, which was a good sign. If it really was the flu that had been going around as Ash had suggested then she would be in for a bumpy ride. 

I rapped quietly on the door. "Ash, are you asleep?" There was no answer. 

"Look Ash if you are awake then…" I paused, there wasn't very much I could say to her. I didn't want to burden her in her state with any of my Kurt related problems- it'd just be a drain.

"Look get better soon… we want you back kicking Ass in the danger room. Wolvies beating us black and blue."

"Hey Mel come look at this!!" I was pulled away from the door by a giggling Ev who was intent on getting me to her balcony. 

"What am I meant to be looking at?" I asked seeing all the girls on her balcony and large groups of students collected on the lawns looking up at the main house.

It was easy to see what I was looking at. 

Hung from the roof was a huge banner taking up most of the front of the house. In big blue letters was the message 'Kurt loves Melody forever.' all I could do was overt my eyes and shake my head in disbelief. 

"Apparently he's been getting his class to help him paint it for a day and a night."

"He must really be sorry Mel's."

"He's spelt Mel wrong. He's put an ody on the end." We just stared at her in disbelief. 

"What?" She asked looking down at herself in her cow pyjamas. Then she caught sight of something that she thought it might be…

"It's my ass isn't it? Cow print gives me a fat ass." She then ran round in a circle like a dog chasing its tail, trying to get a good look at her arse. 

"Will you stop that Kat we have other things to worry about." I said indicating the banner and the blue mutant now standing proudly atop the roof.

"Hey you down there!" I shouted at a boy about half my size who I knew. "Get that down for me will you, there's a shiny dollar in it for you if you do." He nodded proudly and a second later the banner crashed to the ground free of its moorings. 

I turned to go back inside "Jubes do something in revenge… say…" I paused in thought then gave up. "I don't know put something witty; if anyone asks say I said it." 

She nodded and raised her hands. I turned for a second to see the result. In five foot high burning letters above Kurt's head Jubes had written 'Pillock'. I smiled and winked a thanks. It hurt to do it, but I had to make him pay for what he had done to me… didn't I?     

Mels bathroom 

Now that the humiliation was out of my mind form earlier I decided it was time to relax my aching muscles in a nice hot bath.

            I locked the door and put on the radio- I'd picked the worst time for my indulgence; soppy love song hour. Still I wasn't going to stop running the bath and take out the bath crystals just because I didn't want to be reminded of the state of my love life. 

            Why couldn't I change the station I hear you ask? The answer was short strawberry blonde girl with one sandwich short of a picnic she'd thought it was great fun lying in the bath juggling a bottle of shampoo, the knob off the radio and a ball of fire she had created. She dropped the bottle got soap in her eyes from the splash kept juggling and both the fire and the knob had been lost out the window. The ball of fire had landed handily in the lap of our disabled headmaster setting his blanket alight. Needless to say he wasn't happy. And we hadn't found the knob.

            I relaxed back into the warm water turning my body the colour of a cooked lobster- just the way I liked it. Bubbles crept up around my neck and found their way into my water-blackened hair. 

            "The next song is dedicated to Melody from her Smurf. He's really sorry for what he did and he says he forgives you for the incident with the flamethrower and his trousers. Looks like this couples in some trouble." The radio announced before playing my favourite song "Drops of Jupiter" By Train. Well now my ex favourite song, now it was tainted with Kurt. But still, I softened as I laid back in the bath; it was a nice thought and a nice song. Maybe he wasn't as bad as I thought….

BAMPF "Do you forgive me?" The wide-eyed blue elf appeared knee deep in my bathwater with a flourish. Then he realised what he had done…

I screamed… he screamed… there was a whole big screaming thing. 

I grabbed a towel quickly and slung it over my body to hide it from the bastard that was trying to avert his gaze with little success. 

"Sorry… sorry… sorry…" He kept repeating. "I didn't realise you were…"

I glared at him, picking up my strawberry shaped sponge, rage glowering in my eyes "Any thoughts I might have had of forgiving you are now gone." I screamed again, threw my sponge at his head, kicked the bathwater until it went higher on his newly mended trousers.

Then the door gave way under the weight of a huge blue monster. Hank stood for a second, looking at Kurt dodging loofas and scrubbing brushes that were aimed by me at different regions of his body then looking at me kicking and screaming like a child in a temper tantrum with a damp towel draped around me to keep my modesty. He didn't look that phased by it.

"Kurt I think you had better leave…" he said pointing to the doorway. Kurt Bampfed out into my bedroom and gave a sad look back as he walked away. 

I stopped screaming and kicking and looked uncomfortable in Hanks presence, he sadly shook his head. 

"He was just trying to show he cared…"

"Tell him to do it when I'm not in the bath… or maybe even when hell freezes over!" I sunk back into the bath as Hank picked up the door and leaned it on its frame. 

As I lay there listening to the end of my song something floated to where my stomach was… a single long stemmed red rose. Kurt had dropped it in terror

**A Month later**

Relations within the team were stretched at the moment due to my moods and the static shocks I gave out whenever they touched me. I thought that time would heal me but it just didn't seem to be working its magic for me.

"What is your problem?"

"You, you're my problem all you do is bloody mope around and you know what your life isn't so bad. Just look around you, everyday there are people living in misery just look at the Morlocks. Just because he doesn't love you the way you want him to doesn't mean he doesn't love you with all he has!" I screamed at Mel who was still whinging about Kurt before storming out of the house to sit on the bench on the porch.

I sat down realising I couldn't keep pushing these people away; they were trying to help me. But I couldn't help it,  it was like everyone was trying to make me fit perfectly together again but some of my pieces are missing permanently but if it was just that it wouldn't be so bad it was having to pretend I wasn't lonely and hurting. All I could hope is that some, one some day would love the broken pieces and my imperfections but that was a long shot.

I sighed 'Theres so much behind my smile that I can never show to you' I told my friends hell, _my family _silently.

I curled up on the hard wood of the bench the sun warming my skin but not even touching the tundra chill inside of me that kept me shivering cold in the night. I suddenly felt tired, it shouldn't have been such a surprise really as I ate land slept little nowadays. I shut my eyes to shield them from the suns passionate glare and within seconds I was asleep.

When I awoke I found that the sun had disappeared behind black looking clouds. I was also surprised to note I was now covered in a blanket; I looked around the grounds blearily and saw Logan strolling towards me.

"Alright sleepy head" He greeted

I grunted a reply

"Thought yer looked cold" He added waiting expectantly

"Thanks Wolverine"

"No sweat Sparky" He looked disappointed "See ya tomorrow in the Danger room don't be late" 

**Danger room**

"Oaaafffff" Kat fell winded to the floor

I stood and watched helplessly as my team mates fell like flies aware that it was my fault communication within battle had dwindled since the incident, meaning that we were never aware of tactics or the others positions and I knew that was down to me and my moods. I also knew I should be giving instructions to them.

"STOP THIS NOW!" I shouted Wolverine quickly shut down the simulation. Everyone looked at me in surprise I had never called for a danger room session to be ended Kat did every day, Jubes occasionally, Mel and Ev did once in a blue,  moon me never.

"I can't do this anymore!" I said quieter throwing my trademark baseball cap to the floor

"What?" Jubes asked

"This!" I gestured around the room "You can't function with me around, I'm dangerous! God, how many times have I nearly electrocuted you all in this last week? 9, 10 times? I'm going away for a while" 

"Where to exactly?" Mel asked hands on hips

"I'm going home to get myself sorted out"

"What you mean to England?"

"Yes I'll get on the next flight there is I just can't stay here!"

Kat sniffed under her arms "We don't smell that bad!"

I ignored her "As of now Mel is team leader, I don't know when I'll be back"

I strode out o the room realising that this may well be the best decision that I had ever made.

"Ashley wait…" I heard Evelyn call

"Leave her kid, it's something she's got to do" I heard Wolverine tell her

'Good ol' Wolverine you understand' I thought to myself.

I heard the sound of footsteps behind me "Can I come?"

"Kat you know my home is your home…" I told her truthfully as ever since we'd been at the institute Kat came home with me during the holidays having no real family of her own she even had her own room "…but the team need you here their already one person down, your even more important now. Beside some ones got to keep an eye on Mel for me!" 

**My bedroom**

"I just want you to know that I think yer doin' the right thing!"

"Thanks that means a lot to me" I said pausing my hasty throwing of clothes into bags

"I could give you a lift in the Blackbird if you want"

"I might just have to take you up on that" I thought "Won't Scott be pissed though?"

"Yep probably"

**In the garages**

"Look after my car okay?" I told Kat who was sniffing 

Mel ran forward to give me a hug then remembered the whole electrocution thing.

"See ya Mel I hope things work out for you and Kurt." I gave a weak smile

"Don't suppose theirs much point in trying to change your mind" Jubilee said

"None at all! Just remember whatever distance separates us, ho time ages us or what love conquers us our friendship will bind us for eternity" I shocked myself at my display of affection for them.

"I don't know what happened to you Ash I just hope you get it sorted and come back to us the way you used to be…well at least minus the electric charge" Evelyn said in her quiet, gentle way.

"Thanks Ev"

"You ready Sparky?"

"Yep lets go" I said following him to the Blackbird hanger waving at my extended family, hell I was gonna miss em.

"You sure about this? You know you can back out at anytime"

"I've never been surer of anything in my life" I said with such certainty I scared myself

"That what I thought"

"…and Logan…" He smiled my use of his proper name, I'd never done that before "…Thanks for everything"


End file.
